DPAA and ROK Host 2023 Repatriation Ceremony B-roll

Credit: Petty Officer 2nd Class Annaliss Candelaria | Date Taken: 07/25/2023
Service members from the U.S., Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United Nations conduct a Korean War Remains Repatriation Ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, July 25, 2023. The purpose of the ceremony was to transfer remains and commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Armistice between the U.S. and the ROK. The efforts to return the remains are a part of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Korean War Identification Project. The remains were analyzed jointly by the DPAA laboratory and scientists with the ROK's Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification (MAKRI). Obtained from various sources, over 200 sets of remains of ROK service members were held in DPAA’s laboratory, whereby after multiple Joint Forensic Reviews (JFR) and years of collaboration, were repatriated through the United Nations Command to the ROK in 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021 ceremonies. There were seven sets of remains repatriated with one holding a positive identification. (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Annaliss Candelaria and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan McElderry)